


Of a Greater Childhood

by IchiyanTheMango



Series: What's Essential is Invisible to the Eye [1]
Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, Supernatural, Thor (Movies)
Genre: Childhood, Childhood Memories, F/M, Loki (Marvel) Needs a Hug, Loki X OC - Freeform, Odin's A+ Parenting, because they're on a higher pedestal, kinda a vent fic but just longer, loki x ofc, loki's childhood, where angels are more powerful than odin
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-12-05
Updated: 2017-12-10
Packaged: 2019-02-11 02:12:06
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,380
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12925128
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/IchiyanTheMango/pseuds/IchiyanTheMango
Summary: Loki only wanted to please his father, to be loved by his brother, to be admired by his fellow citizens of Asgard. But sometimes, you never really get what you want. So instead of his father's compliments or his brother's affections, he received something else, something that he never knew he needed."Who are you?""I'm Lauriel. I'm an angel of the lord."(In which an angel learns the art of emotions from the trickster himself.)





	1. Chapter 1

All grown-ups were once children, though few of them remember it. – Antoine de Saint-Exupéry.

 

**\---Chapter One---**

 

Loki is young. That is a fact that he knows way too well. But a brat?

Not really. He would rather use the word on his older brother.

If Loki has to be honest, his brother does fit the label quite nicely ̶ Blockheaded and loud, never thinking before attacking. Thor’s a brat, Loki believes.  

His father, however, thinks otherwise.

“Oh Loki, you’re still small. A wise king should know not to blame others for his wrongdoings,” Odin had reprimanded firmly when the little boy went crying to him that Thor had punched his teeth out. In the older boy’s defence, Loki had teased him about his lack of critical thinking while doing a puzzle. The elder had yelled something along the lines of “I’ll show you what’s critical, brother!” And that was why the god of mischief walked around with his front teeth missing for a whole month (much to his annoyance), but life went on per normal for the temporarily-toothless trickster. Which brings him to his next subject of thought  ̶ Humans.

Humans work in a weird, weird way, Loki has noted. On Midgard there would be little creatures who worshipped his brother like their life depended on it, and he will never understand why. Another thing he will never understand was how their time worked. One spin around the puny planet’s self and it was a day. One spin around the sun- the tiny, tiny star in the center of their solar system- was a year. If he is of human age, he will be 200 years old!

Loki chuckles, amused at the idea of him beard as long as the rainbow bridge and wrinkles covering every inch of his face. In Asgardian years, he will be seven, and he will be sparring with his brother every Monday morning instead of drowsily making their way to school after chewing on stale bread like kids on Midgard do.

Loki finds them intriguing. But nonetheless, he never forgets that he’s higher than them. He’s the son of the Allfather. He’s incomparable to the peasants that infest Midgard.

He’s a god.

But being a god was not sufficient, he realises when Frigga read to him and his brother about angels, seraphs and archangels. His brother, unlike him (as always) dismisses those tales as mere bedtime stories.

“Nothing is stronger than Father!” He yells, pumping his fist into the air. Frigga hushes him kindly and he continues, softly this time, “And even if there was, I’ll beat the lights out of them. Remember what Father said?”

Loki nods. “A wise king never seeks out war…”

“But he must always be ready for it,” Thor ends, a wide grin on his face. “And I am ready if those angels ever attack Asgard!”

“Me too,” the younger god grips his mother’s left shoulder. “I am ready too.”

Frigga beams fondly as she holds the two boys tightly in her arms. “I’m sure you both are, my kings. But you must remember, even kings need to rest.”

Thor chuckles and crawls under the sheets. “Yes mother, we know. Right?”

“Yes.” Loki does the same.

Frigga gets off the bed and kisses Thor’s forehead, then Loki’s. The latter notices how warm and relaxed her expression is. She smiles. “Goodnight, my sons,”

“Good night, mother.”

Then thus began period of pregnant silence, save for the deafening snores that came from the opposite end of the mattress and the slight creaking of doors as Frigga took her leave, until there is the fluttering of wings behind the window, almost inaudible yet painfully prominent. Loki snaps to attention, his eyes roaming over the translucent glass. The gentle reflection of the moon glimmers in the night sky and for a split second, Loki swears that he saw a large, black feather float over the surface of the moon. He crawls over to his brother’s side of the bed.

“What was that?” He whispers, shaking his brother’s body gently. Thor waves him away, his eyes shut tight. A soft groan escapes his lips.

“Must’ve been a bird, brother. Go to sleep.” There was a slight shuffle in the sheets before loud snoring could be heard again.

 _Right,_ Loki frowns. He returns to his warm spot under the covers, tugging at the silky duvet that has been hogged by his older brother. His eyes never left the slightly ajar windowpane. _Just a bird._

  



	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Are bedtime stories merely bedtime stories?

_A little girl, no older than the age of nine, stands frozen in the middle of it all. She faces the woman she calls her mother – only she isn’t – her mother would never have eyes that glow a bright, blinding gold. Her mother would never have intense, pulsating light seeping out of her jaws. Her mother would never snap her brother’s neck like it was a twig. No. That thing isn’t her mother at all._

_There is a flutter of wings and a wave of high-pitched noise. A grown man shields the little girl from the thing that slaughtered their family like they were swine._

_“Please don’t take her. She never gave you permission to take her,” the grown man whimpers, his bony hands clutching at his most precious daughter. The woman merely stares into his eyes. Blood oozes out and he cries again, the pain too much for him to bear. The light only grows brighter._

_“Please… Please… She’s the only thing that I have left,” He gasps in desperation. “Take anything but her… Anything! Any-”_

_The grown man goes silent. So does her mother. The little girl swallows._

_“May I have the permission to use you as my vessel, little one?” The light finally speaks. It is just high-pitched noise, but the little girl understands. She looks at her father whose eye-sockets are empty and crimson, his lips slightly parted and his freezing hands that are only growing colder by the second. There are splashes of warm red everywhere and the high-pitched noise never stops, not even as the light glows intensely, not even as houses and stables are set ablaze in the near distance. People scream. Animals run. But the little girl, no older than the age of nine, she stands frozen in the middle of it all, facing the bright light that has taken her father’s life. Her eyes do not burn. Her hands do not move. Her tears do not drop._

_With a cold, cold breath, akin to her father’s hands, she whispers an answer._

**\---Chapter Two---**

Loki does not remember drifting asleep, but when he groggily slaps at his older brother’s wide-eyed face, he realises bitterly that it is indeed daybreak. He groans and pulls the covers over his face, hoping that Thor will cease to disturb his peaceful slumber. But alas, his hopes are crushed when Thor reached forward with ease and peeled the duvet from his brother’s body. Loki grumbles, rubbing his eyes roughly before shifting his body to the other end of the bed. He inhales sharply when he feels his older brother crawl over and shake his tired body yet another time.

“What is it, brother? You’re being exceptionally boisterous today,” Loki complains, punching at Thor’s arm.

Thor shoots him a weird look. “It’s already noon, brother. I’ve come to wake you up.”

What?

Loki sits up immediately, feeling the blood rush to his head. He cringes. Now he’s awake. “Why didn’t you wake me earlier?”

“Father told me not to.” There is an edge to his voice. “He said that it’ll teach you a lesson. He also said that you won’t get any meals today due to your lack of punctuality.”

He then leans closer to Loki. “But no worries, brother. I’ll sneak some food off the kitchen tables for you. What are brothers for?”

“Nonsense. Father will find out.” Loki shifts uncomfortably.

“No he won’t!” Thor grins. “Don’t underestimate my abilities, brother.”

Loki rolls his eyes. “If you say so,” he resigns with a knowing smile. “I’m craving roasted chestnuts.”

“Your word is my command, O great Loki of Asgard,” Thor bows mockingly. “Any more orders for the lord?”

Loki plays along. “Of course, servant. I want them drizzled in honey. The Tupelo type, not any other,” he sniffs imperiously, raising his chin and looking down his nose at his older brother. Thor laughs before giving the younger god a mock salute.

“Anything for the glorious king of the people,” he grins cheekily before quickly exiting the bedroom. Dropping the smile that he forgot he even has in the first place, Loki exhales.

“Loki Odinson.” He jumps at the sudden voice, his fingers wrapping around the hilt of his trusty dagger. He inhales sharply.

There is a figure. Sitting on the edge of his window.

He observes the silhouette silently, drawing the dagger from scabbard slowly as he could. An intruder? He thinks silently, ready to strike if the mysterious being moves even a muscle. The fluttering of the wings again, he notices. So this is what broke into Asgard’s palace last night. He feels a slight shiver run down his spine. How?

Loki decides to voice his question.

“What are you?” he projects, dagger still by his side. His eyes are still trained on the silhouette. One suspicious move and it’s going down, he assures himself. Loki almost feels like Thor. He smiles to himself.

He's always wanted to be like Thor.

But the figure provides no answer and instead opts to stare at the surroundings. Loki’s happiness vanishes. He scowls.

“What are you?” he repeats, clenching onto his dagger as tightly as he could. Something just broke into the palace. Asgard’s palace. His room. _Thor’s room._

“This is not what I expected,” it speaks. “This vessel is so soft.”

 _Vessel?_ “Answer me before I call the guards, intruder.”

“You can’t,” Now it’s finally facing Loki. A little girl. “They wouldn’t believe you.”

“Watch me,” Loki clenches the dagger. “Guards!”

WIthin mere seconds, guards came bursting into the room, eyes sharp and weapons at bay.

“There’s an intruder,” he says stiffly, but when he swivels to face the figure, it is not there, save for a lone black feather lying neatly in the middle of the room.

Loki strides impatiently towards the spot where the little girl used to occupy. He picks up the black feather and stares at it, his mind clouded with thoughts. The door was slammed open against the wall and Thor walks in, holding a plate. On top of it was roasted chestnuts drizzled with honey.

“You wouldn’t believe how hard it was to convince the chef to prepare this for me,” he complains, sliding the plate across the floor to his younger brother. He notices the guards and furrows his eyebrows worryingly. “What’s wrong?”

Loki looks up, though his mind was still on the little girl. He grimaces.

“There’s an intruder in the palace. Relay that to Father immediately.”

Thor looks sharply at him. "What?" he demands. "Loki, do not jest. This is no laughing matter." But his eyes are uncertain as he stares first at the black feather – which was definitely not there earlier – and then at the guards, who are still alert.

Loki shakes his head, scowling. "I do not jest, Thor. There was a girl here not a minute ago. I do not know how she got in, nor how she disappeared, but I assure you, she was definitely there."

Thor stares at him, searching his face for any sign of lies. Loki wants to roll his eyes, but refrains from doing so. Thor will only condemn him for not being serious. So he just waits and holds his brother's gaze.

Eventually, he nods. "All right, brother," Thor agrees. "I will tell Father. You," he points to a random guard, "bring my brother to my mother at once. Do not let him out of your sight until you reach her. Do you understand?"

"Yes, Prince Thor," the guard murmurs, then gestures for Loki to go first.

Thor follows them out of the room and into the hallway, where he parts ways with Loki. But at the last moment, he runs back and catches Loki's arm, who startles badly at the shock. He spins to face him, about to scold him for scaring him, but Thor's eyes are serious.

"Tell me if that girl appears again," he commands. Loki almost snaps at him to mind his tone, but there is an undertone of urgency in his voice that has him softening before he knows it.

"I promise," he says instead, and watches Thor's face light up in relief. He squeezes Loki's arm one last time before running off to their father.

But as the guard leads him down the hallway to his mother, he can't help but wonder: who was that girl, and why was there the sound of wings flapping? He does not know of any humanoid beings with wings (minus angels, but they do not exist, right?), though he supposes that his mother might.

Mother. He perks up at the thought. His mother would be able to help! And he is going to her now. Soon, they shall be able to solve this mystery!

\--------

_“Lauriel, Lauriel, Lauriel,” A certain archangel paces around the white space, sighing dramatically before finally spinning around to meet the eyes of his favourite soldier. “You can’t even handle a group of puny Asgardians?”_

_“Loki Laufeyson was present, Gabriel. His brother was, too. I do not want to destroy the pact we have with the ruler of Universe 43.”_

_“I do not want to destroy the pact we “have” with the ruler of Universe 43,” Gabriel imitates the tense angel mockingly, gesturing wildly with his vessel’s fingers. “The word now is had, Lauriel. This is a matter of importance.”_

_Lauriel purses her lips. “Everything you do is a matter of importance.”_

_“EXACTLY!” Gabriel yells suddenly, slamming his fists onto the table separating them. “Which is precisely why you’re gonna follow my orders, word by word. Understood?”_

_“I have no obligations to follow your orders,” Lauriel states. “Everything I do is for our father. For the lord.”_

_“So do I,” Gabriel narrows his eyes. “I am a fellow angel, Lauriel. So do I.”_

_“Then I shall follow.”_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yay. Second chapter. 
> 
> I really have respect for writers. Writing a book/fanfic is HARD.
> 
> Anyway, please provide feedback and leave a Kudos if you will!


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